Osseous Resective Surgery | Pocket Dentistry | NYC Periodontist

Posted August 8, 2016.

When you visit D & D Periodontal Associates for treatment for active gum disease then there are a number of different non-surgical dental procedures that can help, for example deep cleaning of your gums using a technique called scaling and root planing. These treatments are aimed at helping to clear up the bacterial infection so the gum pockets that have developed in between your teeth and your gums can shrink. This helps to reduce the bacterial infection in these gum pockets and enables your gum tissues to begin healing more easily as they can fight the remaining bacteria. As a result they will gradually begin to fit more snugly around your teeth. Sometimes this type of treatment might not be enough and we may need to use surgical gum disease treatments to get rid of extensive pockets of infection. One particular technique is called osseous resective surgery.

When Should You Consider Osseous Resective Surgery?

We will talk to you about this treatment if we feel that nonsurgical options are not enough. By using this surgery, we can help clear up the bacterial infection in your gums, making it easier for you to keep them clean in the future. This will help reduce the risk of further infection and destruction to the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth. This is a very sophisticated procedure but there is no need to worry as our periodontists are highly skilled and specialize in treating gum conditions so you are in the very best place to get top quality treatment.

With osseous resective surgery we will be able to smooth and reshape the bone that has been destroyed by advanced gum disease. This helps to create shallower gum pockets and smoother surfaces are more difficult for bacteria to stick to. At the same time all these surfaces will be thoroughly cleaned so afterwards your body can begin to fight gum infection more effectively and we can begin thinking about ways to repair badly damaged tissues.

What to Expect during Osseous Resective Surgery

Most people will be comfortable with local anesthetic but please talk to us if you feel particularly nervous and require additional dental sedation. During this treatment we will need to make a small incision into your gum tissue to create a flap and this is the reason you might also hear this technique being called flap surgery. By creating a flap we can see right into the gum pocket that much more clearly and will be able to thoroughly clean and smooth all the exposed surfaces. Afterwards we will remove all the unhealthy gum tissue so healing will be easier. A smoother tooth root surface will also make it easier for your gum tissue to reattach itself.

Osseous Surgery Post-Operative Instructions

At the end of surgery we will stitch the flap of gum tissue back into place. Once the anesthetic wears off, you may need to take some pain medication but there is no need to worry as we will provide you with plenty of advice and a prescription if necessary. We can also tell you how to look after the surgery site until it heals. Once your gums have properly healed, you should notice they look much healthier than before the osseous resective surgery.